A shot in the arm muscle is no longer the only way of administering a Covid vaccine. In April, Russian drug regulators approved the use of vaccines that can be sprayed into the nose, but very little was known of their efficacy. Earlier this week, China became the first country to authorise the use of an inhaled vaccine for booster doses. On 6th September 2022 *India’s Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO)* approved iNCOVACC, the country’s first intranasal vaccine for primary inoculation. Developed by scientists at the Washington University and manufactured by the Hyderabad-based company, *Bharat Biotech*, the vaccine uses a harmless version of chimpanzee adenovirus to deliver the spike protein to the lining of the nose.
The chairman of Bharat Biotech called the approval a matter of pride for the organisation and said that the intranasal vaccine would be a global game changer.
“Despite the lack of demand for COVID-19 vaccines, we continued product development in intranasal vaccines to ensure that we are well-prepared with platform technologies for future infectious diseases. We thank the *Ministry of Health, the (CDSCO)*, the *Department of Biotechnology Govt of India*, and *Washington University St. Louis* for their support and guidance,” said Dr. *Krishna Ella, Chairman and Managing Director, Bharat Biotech.*
Here is what the new nasal vaccine is all about.
1. Bharat Biotech's recombinant nasal vaccine - *iNCOVACC* - serves as an instrument for primary immunisation against Covid-19 in adults in the 18+ age group, and it is meant for restricted use in emergencies only. For the moment, it can be administered only to the unimmunised.
2. The vaccine uses a modified *chimpanzee adenovirus*, which cannot replicate in the body to carry the Covid spike protein and thereby induces better immunity.
3. iNCOVACC is stable at 2-8 degrees Celsius and can be easily stored and distributed. Bharat Biotech has said that it has established large manufacturing capabilities for the vaccine across India.
4. iNCOVACC has the dual benefit of enabling faster development of variant-specific vaccines and easy nasal delivery, enabling mass immunisation. It can soon become an important tool in mass vaccination programs during pandemics and endemic.
5. According to Bharat Biotech, this nasal vaccine has been specifically formulated to allow intranasal delivery through nasal drops. It has been designed and developed to be cost-effective in low and middle-income countries.
Written by Pinky Bothra
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